


Pink Sparkly Pen

by blackfin



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Single Parent, Budding Love, M/M, Single Parents, Sweet, i really don't know what to tag this as tbh, kissing on the cheek, single parent!niles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 17:01:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13252653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackfin/pseuds/blackfin
Summary: He just stopped by to return a pen that had been left behind but Corrin finds himself unable to get the lonely gaze of the one-eyed man out of his mind. Maybe it's not the best idea for him to get involved but he can't keep himself away.





	Pink Sparkly Pen

**Author's Note:**

> Written as part of a drabble challenge  
> Rules: has to be written from one of three prompt generators and can't be more than 1,500 words  
> This prompt was: Character, a single father. Material, a pen. Sentence, "Maybe we should just kiss to break the tension". Bonus, character is fearless to the point of stupidity  
> Kudos and comments are muchly appreciated! Thank you for reading!  
> Cross posted on my tumblr, s-aizo  
> Currently accepting commissions, check my tumblr for more details

They both stared as the child stomped away. With pigtail braids swinging wildly, she paused by the door, only to turn around, tears streaming down her chubby cheeks and shrieked at the top of her lungs, “DADDY IS STUPID!”. With that exclaimed, she darted inside and slammed the door loudly behind her. Corrin grimaced as the sound echoed throughout the corridor. Glancing over at the one-eyed man standing behind him, he started to apologize but was surprised when he started laughing. 

“Little firecracker, isn’t she?” He said, turning to grin down at Corrin. Immediately, he noticed that while the mouth was smiling, his one visible eye wasn’t. 

“Aren’t you mad?” 

“No, that was my fault. I shouldn’t have been teasing her like that.” Still smiling, he held out the sparkly pink pen, “Thank you for returning this. You didn’t have to go out of your way, though.”

Corrin shrugged, “My apartment is right down that way so it wasn’t out of my way at all.”

“Is that so?” The one-eyed man held out a large, calloused hand, “Niles.”

“Corrin.” He replied, reaching out to shake the extended hand firmly, “It’s good to meet you. I’ve seen your little one running around. Haven’t seen your partner, though. Do they work long hours?”

“No longer around.” Niles replied simply. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-“ He stopped when Niles waved a hand dismissively. 

“What about you? Got someone waiting?” 

Corrin chuckled uncomfortably, “No, just me, right now.”

“I’ve made things even more awkward, haven’t I?” Niles asked with a rusty laugh. 

Before he could reply, Niles leaned down, bringing his face startlingly close and said softly, “Maybe we should kiss to break the tension.”

Heat flooded his face. Gawking up at the one-eyed man, he tried to say something, acutely aware of the pleasant scent of cigarette smoke and soap coming from him. Grinning a bit like a cat that caught a canary, Niles relented. Straightening up, he breezily said, “Just joking. Thank you again.”

Turning away, he strode over to his door, then, just as his daughter did, paused. Looking over his shoulder, he favored Corrin with a wide grin, “Just kidding about the just joking. My door is always open. Come see me if you want to have some fun.”

With that, he disappeared inside, leaving Corrin wondering what in the hell had just happened. Quickly composing himself, he hurried towards his own apartment, heart thundering in his chest, skin flushed and heated, the exchange playing repeatedly inside his mind. It wasn’t that he was unused to advances. This one had just been particularly, nearly stupidly bold. Oddly enough, he didn’t find himself put off. 

He was smiling but his eye wasn’t. Rather, he had looked almost sad, lonely, like he was desperate for some kind of human intimacy. Fishing his keys out of his pocket, he let himself into his apartment. He wondered if it was a good idea to get involved with someone like that. It sounded selfish but he had his own problems. Right now, he couldn’t really afford getting pulled in by that kind of thing. 

He knew that but as he walked into the kitchen to start making dinner, he realized he had already decided. Rolling up his sleeves, he got to work. In just a short while, he had a steaming pot of his homemade spaghetti and was walking back towards Niles apartment. With both hands full, he had to resort to knocking on the door with his shoe. 

The door opened up, and standing behind it was the little girl. Smiling brightly, he bent down, “Hello, there.”

“Hello. I’m sorry about earlier.” She responded, sounding astonishingly mature now that she wasn’t screaming. 

“It’s alright. What’s your name?”

“Nina.” 

“That’s a pretty name. Mine is Corrin, it’s nice to meet you. Is your Daddy here?”

“Right here.” Popping out from one of the rooms, Niles quirked an eyebrow in confusion, a slight grin on his, admittedly, handsome face, “What-“

“Can I come in?” Corrin interrupted. 

“Sure.” Niles nodded, “Come on i-“

Without waiting for him to finish, Corrin strode in confidently. The apartment smelled heavily of cigarette smoke, laundry detergent and plastic. Right beside the entrance was the kitchen, which was shockingly clean, though he imagined the two of them lived entirely off TV dinners and cup ramen. Setting the pot down onto the table, he turned around to find Niles and Nina watching him curiously from the doorway. 

Smiling brightly, he asked, “Nina, could you get some bowls, forks and glasses?”

Nodding, the little girl hurried about the kitchen. Walking over to the fridge, he pulled the door open to reveal yet another surprise. It was full to the brim, practically overflowing with food – both healthy and junk. Okay, maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to make assumptions. Motioning for father and daughter to sit down, he made quick work of pouring three glasses and scooping generous helpings of spaghetti into three colorful bowls. 

The two were a little hesitant at first but once they got that first mouthful, they immediately began to chow down. As they ate, Corrin got the two of them talking. Nina was six, in first grade, read at a third grade level, and was very proud of that. Niles was freelancer in multiple different fields, though web design was his specialty, worked from home and had lost his eye in a car accident. All the while, Niles was closely watching him, though he couldn’t quite read the expression on his face. 

Once they had finished eating, Nina ran off to watch a new episode of some show, and Corrin made use of their sink to wash everything up. Leaning against the counter, arms crossed over his broad chest, Niles watched him quietly for several moments, then a muscular arm was wrapping firmly around Corrin’s waist. Jumping slightly, the sponge dropping from his hand, his eyes widened, heat flooding into his cheeks, when Niles leaned down to press a soft kiss against the side of his neck. For a moment, he was too stunned to react but managed to get ahold of himself quickly. 

Pushing Niles away, he locked eyes with him and said firmly, “No.”

Sighing, Niles took a step back, arm slipping away from his waist, “You’re right, we should wait until Nina goes to bed.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Cocking his head, looking thoroughly confused, Niles asked, “It’s not?”

“It’s not.”

“Isn’t that what you came here for?”

“No, I came here to eat dinner and talk with you two. That’s it.”

Niles was silent for a moment, obviously digesting what Corrin had said then tentatively asked, “That’s it?”

“That’s it.” 

“Why?” 

“Because I wanted to.”

Drying off the now clean pot, he ignored the baffled look Niles was giving him, though was a little concerned by how surprised he obviously was. Was it really all that shocking that he hadn’t come over here for sex? Tucking the dried pot underneath his arm, he scooted by Niles, feeling his eyes following him as he went. Poking his head into the living room, where Nina was sat on an old, leather sofa, eyes glued to the TV, he called, “Bye, Nina! I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Bye, Corrin! Thank you for dinner!”

“You’re welcome, sweetie!” 

With Niles following close behind, Corrin stepped out into the silent corridor. Leaning against the doorframe, still looking confused and unsure, Niles spoke up quietly, “Thank you for dinner. It was good.”

“I’m glad.” He responded with a smile, “What do you want for tomorrow night?”

“Huh?” Niles eyebrows flew up to his hairline. 

“Tomorrow, what do you want?”

“You’re going to cook for us again?” 

“Yep, so what do you want?”

“Lasagna!” Nina’s voice yelled out from inside the apartment. 

Chuckling, Corrin nodded and called back, “Alright, lasagna it is!”

Taking a step forward, the edges of his lips tilting up slightly as Niles eye widened, Corrin placed a chaste kiss on his warm cheek. He lingered for just a moment, then stepped away, heart thudding hard when he got a full view of Niles flushed face, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Niles.”

A calloused hand grabbed his arm as he made to walk away. 

“Why?” There was a roughness to his voice, and something that sound vaguely hostile. 

Turning to look over his shoulder, Corrin smiled gently and said, “Because I know what it’s like to be alone.”

Easily pulling his arm away, a sharp pain rippling through his chest at the conflicted look on Niles face, he offered up one more smile before making himself walk away. As he heard the door to the one-eyed man with a lonely, pained gaze’s apartment close, he wondered distantly if this was truly a good idea. 

And immediately came to the conclusion that he didn’t care if it was or wasn’t. 

If he was able to help, even in the smallest way, he would without hesitation.


End file.
